So I have been presented with a choice.
my mom said I could either go to Japan this summer or winter.
I've been to Japan before during the spring.
If I go to Japan during the winter, I'll be able to celebrate new years with my relatives and the whole bit, I've never been to Japan during new years before.

Winter. Summer is obscenely hot and humid. If you have relatives there then you can go to a shrine on 正月 with them which is always quite an experience. If you want to do any travelling in summer you will be pretty reliant on air conditioning unless your made of seriously stern stuff.

Yes. Unless you go to the far north or far south, Japan is extremely hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter. You should go during the season that you feel most comfortable in, as there are wonderful events and things to do during all seasons.

I went in winter (January-February) - I didn't find it obscenely cold at all, in fact for me, it felt like springtime - apart from my first day in Kyoto when it was very cold and snowing (and it warmed up later on that day). My frame of reference is the weather in Edinburgh though, where winter can be a very cold, wet, windy bitch. Maybe I got lucky, but the weather I had in Japan when I went was on the whole, mild, sunny, breezy and a nice temperature.

To put it another way - I didn't wear a coat most of the time I was in Japan, but I didn't stop wearing a coat back home until about July. Of course, the UK had a terrible summer this year anyway but you can get the point.

I haven't been to Japan in the summer so I couldn't possibly comment, but all of my Japanese friends concur that it's just way too hot. And they're probably somewhat accustomed to it. I guess it's worth considering what you're used to.

I found the winter (actually, parts of two consecutive winters) I spent in Japan fairly mild (compared to the Hudson Valley of New York State), but then I was fairly far south (Yamaguchi-ken). I also don't remember the summers being that hot (compared to the previous three, spent in the marshes of the Carolinas, the Mississippi River bottomlands of Tennessee, and southern California.) But then, it was a quarter century ago, so my memory is hazy, and we did have to shut down the work center by noon, to avoid tripping the circuit breakers (which were located outside in the sun.)

It would help matters greatly if you would narrow it down a bit. WHERE in Japan are you going to be? I don't want to insult your intelligence, but since Americans seem to be woefully lacking in the basics of geography these days I'll run that risk by pointing out to you that Japan covers quite a bit of latitude.

And aren't you in Colorado? A little cold is going to bother you? I can't help but be reminded of the scene in "Coming to America" where the landlord is showing the guys the shared bathroom in the tenement...."Little bit of an insect problem; but you boys from Africa....y'all used to that."

Harisenbon wrote:
You're welcome to call me Haris Enbon (which is what a lot of people call me for some reason)

I usually read your name as Harisen-borg. I have no idea why xD

- Harumi Nessa - 熱砂 春美(Just kidding '')
'Do you know what it feels like, loving someone who's in a rush to throw you away?
Do you know what it feels like, to be the last one to know the lock on the door has changed?' - Enrique Iglesias <3

As Mike mentioned, please tell us where you plan to visit. I can only speak from my experiences but the Ice festivals or Snow sculpture fetivals are very nice to see for the short time they are around.

do some research about the matsuri (festivals) in the local area your family lives in.

It would help matters greatly if you would narrow it down a bit. WHERE in Japan are you going to be? I don't want to insult your intelligence, but since Americans seem to be woefully lacking in the basics of geography these days I'll run that risk by pointing out to you that Japan covers quite a bit of latitude.

Exactly. I just double checked a few maps, and Japan (about 25N-45N) covers almost the same range of latitudes as the Continental US (about 25N-48N). Based on this, I would expect the thermal extremes to ROUGHLY match up with the extremes here in the states. (desert areas excluded)